“Ngiyethemba ukuthi ubaba uzofika ekhaya maduze.” Izwi lomfana lalizwakala likhathazekile.

“Impela uzothukuthela ubaba wakho,” kusho u-Anti Phoebe owayehleli endlini yokuphumula ephethe incwadi.

URichard wasukuma kusofa ayehleli kuwo isigamu sehora esedlule wathi, ngezwi lokucasuka, 'Uzophatheka kabi kodwa angathukutheli. Ubaba akacasuka… Nangu eza!” Kwakhala insimbi yasemnyango waya emnyango. Wabuya kancane futhi edumele: “Bekungeyena,” esho. 'Ukuphi? Ah, ukube nje engafika ekugcineni!'

“Awusakwazi ukulinda ukuze ungene enkingeni eyengeziwe,” kuphawula u-anti wakhe, owayenesonto elilodwa kuphela esekhaya futhi wayengazithandi ngokukhethekile izingane.

"Ngicabanga ukuthi babakazi uPhoebe ungathanda ukuthi ubaba angishaye," kusho umfana ngokucasuka, "kodwa ngeke ukubone lokho ngoba ubaba muhle futhi uyangithanda."

'Kufanele ngivume,' kuphendula u-anti, 'ukuthi ukushaya kancane ngeke kukulimaze. Ukube ubuyingane yami, nginesiqiniseko sokuthi ubungeke ukwazi ukumbalekela."

Yaphinda yakhala insimbi umfana wagxuma waya emnyango. “NguBaba!” ekhala.

"Ah, Richard!" UMnu. Gordon wabingelela indodana yakhe ngomusa, ebamba isandla somfana. 'Kwenzenjani kodwa? Ubukeka udangele."

'Woza nami.' URichard wadonsela uyise egumbini lezincwadi. UMnu Gordon wahlala phansi. Wayesabambe isandla sikaRichard.

"Ukhathazekile ndodana? Kwenzekeni-ke?"

Zehle izinyembezi kuRichard ebuka uyise ebusweni. Wazama ukuphendula kodwa izindebe zakhe zaziqhaqhazela. Wabe esevula isicabha sebhokisi elibukisayo wakhipha izingcezu zesithombe esisanda kufika izolo njengesipho. UMnu. Gordon wahwaqabala ngesikhathi uRichard ebeka izingxenyana phezu kwetafula.

“Kwenzeka kanjani lokho?” ebuza ngezwi elingashintshile.

“Ngajikijela ibhola phezulu ekamelweni, kanye nje, ngoba angizange ngicabange ngakho.” Izwi lomfana ompofu lalishubile futhi liqhaqhazela.

UMnu. Gordon wahlala isikhashana, ezabalaza ukuzibamba futhi ezama ukuqoqa imicabango yakhe ekhathazekile. Wabe esethi ngomusa, 'Kwenzekeni, Richard. Susa izingcezu. Usudlule kwenele ngakho ngiyakubona. Nami ngeke ngikujezise ngalokho."

"Hawu baba!" Umfana egona uyise. "Umnandi kakhulu." Ngemuva kwemizuzu emihlanu, uRichard wangena endlini yokuphumula noyise. U-Anti Phoebe waphakamisa amehlo, elindele ukubona ama-scowls amabili. Kodwa akubona kwammangaza.

“Kuyishwa elikhulu,” esho ngemva kokuthula isikhashana. “Bekuwumsebenzi wobuciko oncomekayo. Manje iphukile unomphela. Ngicabanga ukuthi lokho kugangile kakhulu kuRichard."

'Silulungisile udaba, Anti Phoebe,' kusho uMnumzane Gordon ngomoya ophansi kodwa ngokuqinile. "Umthetho endlini yethu uwukuthi: phuma elangeni ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka." Elangeni, ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka? Yebo, lokho empeleni kungcono kakhulu.

Okwakudala kwezinhlamvu ezivela ku: Izindaba Zokukhetha Zezingane, umhleli: Ernest Lloyd, Wheeler, Michigan: undated, pp. 47-48.

Yashicilelwa okokuqala ngesiJalimane ngo Isisekelo sethu esiqinile, 4-2004.